Around 400,000 students have had their university places confirmed so far, but a quarter of applicants are yet to secure an offer, according to Ucas statistics.

Five days on from the release of A-level results, 55,023 students (approximately 9%) are still awaiting a decision from a university.

But the proportion of students who have gained a place through clearing – the system that allows those who have missed out on the grades needed for their university choices to find an alternative course – is up on 2011, at just over 4% of total applicants.

It's expected that more applicants will be accepted to university when compared with last year, according to Ucas chief executive Mary Curnock Cook.

"The combination of fewer applicants and the lifting of number controls for higher achieving candidates means there are many more courses with vacancies in clearing this year."

When A-level results were released last week the Ucas website was advertising over 25,000 courses with vacancies for UK students, far more than in 2011, when around 14,000 were available.

But some have questioned the impact changes to the admissions process which allow universities to recruit an unlimited number of students with AAB A-level grades or better has had on upon the number of students using clearing.

Jonathan Tinnacher, head of student recruitment at the University of Leicester says that that effect is minimal.

"It looks like we might have had slightly more students changing their minds or using Ucas adjustment, but the main change this year is that, like the majority of universities, we've had more places available because fewer people applied and therefore the pool is smaller."

Ben Morse, head of year 13 at the Piggott School, Reading, says that although universities are targeting high achievers, talk of increased fees means students are less likely settle for second best.

"Anecdotally, our top candidates who missed out on the grades needed to get a place are withdrawing their applications with a plan to resit and then reapply next year."

Clearing 2012: the numbers so far

• 632,498 people applied to university this year

• 380,695 applicants secured a place through a conditional or unconditional offer